DD being sent home from nursery

[Pepper34]

On the weekend of the 19th DD (3) came down with symptoms of hand foot and mouth. I let nursery know that we would keep her off that week and what she had.

Our other two came down with the same (5yo and baby) and eldests school suggested keeping him off that week as its a SEN school and the Early Years groups have alot of close contact and mouth toys etc. That was no problem.

Fast forward to today both children go back to school and nursery, they're completely over it now and the rashes are gone.

20 minutes after DH dropped DD to nursery en route to work I get a call from them asking what illness she was off with last week.

I reminded them that i'd already told them, it was hand foot and mouth.

Nursery assistant replies that they've had a few children off with that recently (that'll be where DD got it from) and that the children who had it aren't allowed back into nursery until the 5th December.

Nobody bothered to tell us that.

The only response I received when telling them DD wouldn't be coming in last week was them saying thanks for letting them know.

AIBU to think this is really shit of them?

Unreasonable how?

My issue is they didn't let us know she wasn't welcome back until the 5th.

That is pretty shit - hand foot and mouth isn't even contagious once the rash appears! They have no right to demand she stays home, especially if you are paying

It's really shit of them to tell you not to bring her in in the first place, you don't have to stay home with HFM!

That's ridiculous. They didn't tell you, plus if she is out of the infectious period, she is fine to be there. They are being over cautious.

did you ask why children with hand, foot and mouth were being excluded until an arbitrary date that has nothing to do with the infectious period?

this is the NHS advice.

Not yet but I intend to, I'm going to send an email in a minute.

This is our first encounter with HFM so don't have much experience of it, however even the pharmacist at the chemist said they would be fine to return after 5 days and that the 5 days was merely being cautious.

It's ridiculous isn't it. Poor DD will have been sat in the office kept apart from the others like a leper.

I would ring back to discuss why their policy goes against the NHS advice, and I would also explain that you won't be collecting her as there's no reason why she shouldn't be at nursery.

They're hoping you won't want to make a fuss, and will just keep her off and keep paying.

You absolutely should kick off about this. Send them/read out to them the nhs advice that no time off nursery at all is required.

as long as your dc is well enough to be in, they are being completely U.

let us know how you get on

Probably under staffed and seen a handy way to improve the ratios going by another thread that was on here recently

I'd ask for their written policy on this and why NHS guidance doesn't agree.

5th is very specific, I think it is staffing issues

Sorry took me ages to type but everyone in agreement. Let us know how it goes.

I would be raging about this tbh. DD1 had HFM 3 times, all very different. She only ever missed nursery if she was feeling unwell with it - the middle time she was fine pretty much throughout. And the first time she missed a day to be sure it wasn't chickenpox.

DD has been fine all the way through and at no point has felt unwell with it, I kept her off nursery as a courtesy to the other parents and staff.

I suspect some of you may be onto something with the staffing issues.

They're short staffed and taking the piss.
Id ask to see their policy on this

I wouldn’t ‘kick off’ about it, but just send a factual email asking why nobody told you your daughter couldn’t return until 5th December when the pharmacist and NHS advice is that it is fine now to return. Ask for them to email you a copy of their absence policy and also ask if they are continuing to charge you. Ask them to let you know today so you can return her tomorrow.

I called up and they've just called me back. The nursery manager said she didn't pick up my message about DD having HFM and it would've been one of the other nursery assistants who replied to me. N.M has been out of the country and its her first day back today.

She wanted me to reiterate whether it was DD who came down with symptoms first, or DS who goes to school (implying DS could have been the one to spark the infection in nursery)

I said it was DD and that we're certain she caught it in nursery as she hadn't been anywhere else and the nursery assistant confirmed today that they've had alot of children off with it.

I told her about the NHS policy and medical advice. She said she's setting her own guidelines and not following either of the above. She wants all children who've had HFM to stay off for two weeks because small children are so vulnerable, some have been born preterm.

She wanted to get off the phone and said she's going to send an email out.

What a joke.

Oh I queried whether it was a staffing issue and she was adamant that it isn't 🤔

Is she charging you for this week?

She absolutely cannot make you keep your child off nursery for 2 weeks when there is nothing wrong with her. Ask for their speci9fic written policy on this and confirm that you won't be charged for this week since your child is well.

Well if she's setting her own guidance which goes against NHS guidelines and pretty much that of any other setting then this should be in the contract and I'd reply saying I look forward to being reimbursed for this week as this refusal to take my child is just based on your own rules which make no sense.

I told her about the NHS policy and medical advice. She said she's setting her own guidelines and not following either of the above. She wants all children who've had HFM to stay off for two weeks because small children are so vulnerable, some have been born preterm.

wow. That’s incredibly arrogant. Just astounding really.

is this a private nursery?

I’d look for another nursery, and then when giving notice, I’d make it very clear that it was because of this.

DD gets 15 hours funded and goes 2 x per week so fortunately not.

I would refuse to pay for time off due to the NM's own policy (in contradiction of medical advice on the matter).

5th Dec!! Wow!!

I would be pretty unimpressed with this

It's a private nursery yes